Shipping container



,March 20, 1934.

.1. P. EIARPY SHIPIHING CONTAINER Filed Feb. 21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR ATTORNEYS March 20, 1934. EARP 1,951,602

SHIPfING' CONTAINER Filed Feb. 21. 1331 3 She ets-Sheet 2- INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Marchyzo, 1934- I Y J. P. EARP 1,951,602

SHIPPING CONTAINER Filed Feb. "21, 1931 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR.

ATTORNEYS.

Patented Mar. 20, 1934 UNITED STATES SHIPPING C James P. Earp, Madison, N. J.,

. stapling Machines 00.,

ware

Application February 21,

4 Claims.

This invention relates to shipping containers and particularly to wirebound shipping containers. It is an object of the invention to provide a strong and durable container which isnevertheless light in weight.

It is another object of the invention to provide a container so constructed and arranged as to permit a free circulation of air on all sides of the' container when such container is stacked in a refrigerator car or storeroom.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shipping container which is so constructed and arranged as to eliminate the necessity of providing packing or bracing members at the ends or sides of a refrigerator car to prevent a damaging shifting of the containers in the car.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a shipping container having flexible sides capable of expanding at certain points under pressure of the settling contents, and thereby expand into contact with adjacent containers and the sides or ends of the car to provide firm contact against shifting.

Other objects will be in part obvious and in part pointed out hereinafter.

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a perspective view of a shipping container embodying the invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevation on a smaller scale of a plurality of containers stacked on the floor of a refrigerator car, and showing the position of the containers as initially stacked in the car and before the contents have settled to expand the flexible sides at certain points.

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 1.

i Fig. 4 is a top plan view on a smaller scale of a container blank which, when folded, constitutes the four sides of the container shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 5 is a sectional view taken on the line 5--5 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 6 is a front elevation of the blank of Fig. 4 with the exterior cleats omitted.

Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the blank of Fig. 4.

Fig. 8 is the same as Fig. 2 but showing the changed form and position of the containers after the contents have settled and expanded the flexible sides at certain points.

Fig. 9 is a top plan view of the containers shown in Fig. 8. 7

Referring to Fig. 1, the container comprises four side sections, each consisting of one or more sheets of side material 1, an exterior cleat 2, and an interior cleat 3. The side material 1 consists of material which is capable of flexing under prescar.

ONTAINER assignor to a corporation of Dela- 1931, Serial No. 517,455

sure, such, for example, as sheets of rotary cut 'as at 4 to provide ventilating openings. The exterior cleat 2 for each side, which is preferably of resawed lumber, is located along the upper edge of the side. The interior cleat 3 of similar material is located along the lower edge of the side. The four sides of the container are secured together and held in container form by encircling flexible binders 5 and 6. An intermediate binder 7 may be provided. The binder 5 encircles the container in the plane of the exterior cleats 2 andis secured to the sides by staples which straddle the wire 5, pass through the exterior cleats 2 and through the side sheets 1. The binder 6 encircles the container in the plane of the interior cleats 3 and is secured to the sides by staples which straddle the wire 6, pass through the side sheets 1 and into or through the interior cleats 3. The binder 7 when applied is secured to the side sheets 1 by staples which straddle the wire 7 and pass through the side sheets 1. y

The binders 5, 6 and 7 are preferably of equal length, with the result that the side sections are drawn inwardly at the top of the container and the inside dimension of the container is greater at the bottom than at the top. As shown in Fig. 2, such an arrangement provides a ventilating space 8 between containers when they are stacked in a refrigerator car or storeroom, the containers contacting at the'points 9 and 10.

As shown in Fig. l, the inward tapering of the side sheets from the bottom to the top of the container provides a fan-shaped opening 11 at the container corners for ventilating purposes. Such opening permits the intermediate binder 7 to draw toward each other, adjacent edges of the corner sheets 1 to accommodate bulging or expansion of the side sheets at other points under the settling action of the contents of the container as hereinafter more fully explained.

When the containers are stacked in a refrigerator car in the manner shown in Fig. 2, there is usually a space at one end or at one side, or both, of the car, which is not large enough to accommodate another row of containers. Heretofore it has been necessary to fill such space or spaces with packing or bracing to prevent the containers from shifting in transit and breaking under the force of contact with the spaced wall of the Such packing or bracing is expensive and involves considerable labor to install. The container of this invention is designed to eliminate the necessity of providing such packing or bractainer is designed to permit its flexible sides to bulge out at the points 12 under the pressure of the settling contents. Such bulging shifts each container away from its neighbor, with the result that a layer of containers in the car expands as a'whole a suflicient distance, to occupy the spaces at the ends or sides of the car. For example, the illustrative container which is cubical in form and designed to carry a bushel and a half of contents, measures approximately fifteen inches across the top and bottom. Twenty-five such containers may be placed in a row lengthwise a car having an inside lengthwise dimension of two hundred eighty-five inches, leaving an excess space of ten inches. The settling of the contents of the container will bulge the flexible sides at the points 12 sufliciently to occupy the excess space of ten inches and wedge the several containers in the row against shifting lengthwise the car. Similarly the rows of containers crosswise the car will take up excess spaces and wedge the row of containers against crosswise shifting in transit. If the containers are initially positioned in the car with spaces between adjacent containers, the bulging sides will soon expand into firm contact with the bulging sides of adjacent containers.

Still referring to Figs. 8 and 9, the bulging action apparently takes place at the points 12 because of the tendency of the contents to assume a cylindrical form, and because the intermediate binder 7 can move inwardly at the corners of the container (the fan-shaped space 11 permitting the wire to draw adjacent side sheets 1 toward each other). This drawing in of the intermediate binder 7 at the corners permits the bulging of the side sheets and intermediate wire intermediate the corners of the container.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5, 6 and 7, the container is preferably made by assembling the side sheets 1, exterior cleats 2, and interior cleats 3 in foldable relationship in the flat and applying the binders 5, 6 and '7 to foldably connect the several sections. The flat blank of Fig. 4 is then folded into box form and the ends of the several binders intertwisted. A bottom section 13 is provided to rest upon the interior cleats 3. This bottom section is usually inserted during the folding of the side sections into box form. The bottom section may be stapled or otherwise secured to the interior cleats 3. The bottom section is usually constructed of spaced sheets and cross strips to provide ventilation at the bottom of the container. A top section 14, also constructed of spaced slats and strips, rests upon the exterior cleats 2. Such top section may be nailed or otherwise secured to the exterior cleats 2, or the top section may be provided with wires 15-stapled to the top section, and the ends of which may be secured to the binder 5 which encircles the exterior cleats 2.'

The container of this invention is particularly advantageous for the shipment of vegetables and the like, which require ventilation in transit. The container permits a ready inspection of its contents by simply unhooking the. ends of the wires 15 from the top binder 2 and hooking the ends again after inspection. The flexible sides which are capable of bulging to wedge the containers against shifting in transit, permit a large saving in labor and packing material.

It should be noted that because the binders 5, 6 and 'I are substantially of equal length, the intermediate binder 7 will not be tensioned over ing. As best shown in Figs. 8 and 9,the con-- the container corners and that such looseness of the intermediate binder facilitates the bulging of the flexible sides at the points 12.

It should be understood that the invention is not to be limited to the specific embodiment shown for illustration, as inventive features thereof may be used in various forms and in various combinations.

I claim:

1. A shipping container comprising four side sections each consisting of thin side material adapted to flex under pressure of the settling contents of the container, a rigid exterior cleat at the top of the section, and a rigid interior cleat at the bottom of the section; a flexible binder encircling the sides in the plane of the exterior cleats and secured to said cleats; a flexible binder encircling the sides in the plane of the interior cleats and secured to the side sheets and said cleats; an intermediate flexible binder encircling the sides and secured to the side sheets; the several bindersbeing of substantially thesamelength, the side sheets tapering inwardly from the bottom to the top of the container and being spaced at the corners of the container; whereby the side material under pressure of the settling contents of the container may flex outwardly intermediate the top and bottom of the container and intermediate the corners of the container, the intermediate binder being drawn inwardly at the corners of the container to accommodate the outward bulging intermediate the corners.

2. A shipping container comprising a plurality of side sections, each consisting of thin side material adapted to flex under pressure of the settling contents of the container, a rigid exterior cleat at the top of the section, and a rigid interior cleat at the bottom of the section; a flexible binder encircling the sides in the plane of the exterior cleats and secured to said cleats; a flexible binder encircling the sides in the plane of the interior cleats and secured to the side material and said cleats; an intermediate flexible binder encircling the sides and secured to the side sheets; the binders being of substantially the same length, the side material tapering inwardly from the bottom to the top of the container and being spaced at the corners of the container; whereby the side material under pressure of the settling contents of the container may flex outwardly intermediate 5 the top and bottom of the container and intermediate the corners of the container, the intermediate binder being drawn inwardly at the corners of the container to accommodate the outward bulging intermediate the corners.

3. A shipping container comprising a plurality of sections of side material adapted to flex under pressure of the settling contents of the container; a rigid cleat frame at the bottom of the container; a rigid cleat frame at the top of the container; a wire encircling the container in the plane of the bottom cleat frame; a wire encircling the container in the plane of the top cleat frame; and a wire encircling the container intermediate the top and bottom and secured to the side material; the adjacent sections of side material being spaced at the corners of the container; whereby the side material under pressure of the settling contents of the container may flex outwardly intermediate the top and bottom of the container and intermediate the corners of the container, the intermediate wire being drawn inwardly at the corners of the container to accommodate the outward bulging intermediate the corners.

4. A shipping container comprising a plurality of sections 01' side material adapted to flex under pressure of the settling contents of the container; a rigid cleat frame at the top of the container; a rigid cleat frame at the bottom of the container; a. flexible binder encircling the container in the plane of the top cleat frame and secured thereto; a flexible binder encircling the container in the plane of the bottom cleat frame and secured thereto; and a flexible binder encircling the container intermediate the top and bottom and secured to the side material; the 

